Cathode Plate Surface Roughness for Adhesion and Easy Stripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing cathode plates in the hydrometallurgical industry, such as electrorefining and electrowinning, face challenges in achieving the optimal surface roughness for metal adhesion without excessive force, which can lead to difficult or damaging metal removal during the stripping process, and are costly due to the use of high-nickel stainless steels.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a coil processing line with mechanical and chemical treatments like cold rolling, pattern rolling, wet-grinding, dry-grinding, shot blasting, pickling, and brushing to achieve the desired surface roughness for cathode plates, specifically using stainless steel materials, ensuring the surface roughness is between 0.7-2.5 micrometers for effective adhesion and easy metal deposition and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the surface roughness is increased to improve adhesion of plated metal, then the adhesion strength increases, but the removal of plated metal becomes very difficult or damaging to the plates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the surface roughness parameter to an optimal range (0.6-2.5 micrometer Ra) that balances adhesion strength and metal removal ease. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by finding the sweet spot where adhesion is sufficient but not excessive, allowing both strong plating and manageable stripping operations.
2Strength
If high-nickel stainless steel (grade EN 1.4404) is used to ensure adequate adhesion, then the adhesion performance is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive high-nickel stainless steel with cheaper low-nickel or nickel-free stainless steel alternatives. By combining this material substitution with optimized surface roughness treatment, the invention achieves adequate adhesion performance at lower cost, effectively using economical materials enhanced by surface engineering.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material composition parameters (reducing nickel content) while compensating for the potential adhesion loss through surface roughness optimization. This parameter change in material composition, coupled with surface treatment, resolves the cost-performance contradiction.
3Ease of operation
If the surface roughness is made too smooth to facilitate metal removal, then the stripping process becomes easier, but the adhesion of plated metal becomes insufficient leading to prestripping
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the surface roughness parameter to a specific range (0.6-2.5 micrometer Ra) that prevents both extremes: it is rough enough to ensure adequate adhesion and avoid prestripping, but smooth enough to allow manageable metal removal. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between adhesion sufficiency and stripping ease.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method achieves a controlled surface roughness that ensures strong adhesion of metals like copper and silver on the cathode plates, allowing for efficient and cost-effective electrochemical processes by adjusting the shearing force required for metal detachment, thereby optimizing the electrochemical process operations.
Implementation Method 1
The surface roughness of the plate to be used as a part of a cathode is made by at least one mechanical and/or chemical treatment in the coil processing line. The treatments for the desired surface roughness can be for instance one or more of the following treatments pattern rolling, wet-grinding, dry-grinding, shot blasting
Implementation Method 2
The surface roughness of the plate to be used as a part of a cathode is made by at least one mechanical and/or chemical treatment in the coil processing line. The treatments for the desired surface roughness can be for instance one or more of the following treatments pattern rolling, wet-grinding, dry-grinding, shot blasting, pickling
Implementation Method 3
An electric current is passed through the solution causing copper from the positively charged anode to be deposited on the negatively charged cathode
Implementation Method 4
an electrolytic solution that contains copper sulphate and sulphuric acid. An electric current is passed through the solution causing copper from the positively charged anode to be deposited on the negatively charged cathode
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a plate material which is used in the electrochemical process of metal as a part of a cathode on which surface a metal is deposited. The surface roughness of the plate material for the adhesion between the metal deposit and the plate material is achieved with at least one treatment in a coil processing line.